Is there a screening test for lung cancer?

Maybe: The national lung screening trial (august new england journal of medicine) showed that screening chest ct in high risk patients (heavy smokers and older patients) reduced deaths from lung cancer by 20% compared to patients screened with plain x-ray alone. There will soon be specific guidelines on exactly who should under go routine chest ct screening.

There is, but it's: Use is controversial for a number of reasons. It's a spiral ct scan: the study screened >30k patients, found 4k 'lesions', but only 400 cancers. It exposes patients to radiation. It is costly. But it reduces mortality. The study looked at current and former smokers over 55 years of age. The more you have smoked, the more this makes sense. Insurers may not pay.

Maybe: There are now recommendations for lung cancer screening. However, screening should only be used in appropriate candidates. http://www.cancer.net/publications-and-resources/what-know-ascos-guidelines/what-know-accp-and-asco-guideline-lung-cancer-screening/recommendations-lung-cancer-screening.

Yes: There are new recommendations from the us preventive services task force (uspstf) on ct screening to detect lung cancer."up to 20, 000 deaths a year from lung cancer might be prevented by annual screenings of generally healthy people who have smoked a pack a day for 30 or more years (or the equivalent such as 2 packs a day for 15 yrs) who are ages 55 to 79 and have smoked within the past 15 years.".

New recommendations: Were just released from the us preventive services task force (uspstf) on ct lung cancer screening: "up to 20, 000 deaths a year from lung cancer might be prevented by annual screenings of generally healthy people who have smoked a pack a day for 30 or more years (or the equivalent such as 2 packs a day for 15 yrs) who are ages 55 to 79 and have smoked within the past 15 years." talk with your doc.

Yes, Finally: Based on the pioneering work of Dr Claudia Henschke and the IELCAP lung cancer screening centers around the world, Low dose CT scanning has now been independently verified by a national trial to be the long awaited for "Lung cancer screening test". This will usher in an era where people at risk can be screened to detect lung cancers while early and curable. Without screening